Marudhar Arts
Auction 38 25 Feb 2023
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Shah Jahan (AH 1037-1068/1628-1658 AD), Akbarabad Mint, Gold Mohur, AH 1042, 'Thuluth Style Calligraphy', Obv: Arabic legend The Kalima Shahada within a quarterfoil, the four Caliph's names with title "ba sadq Aba Bakar ba adl Umar, ba arzm Uthman wa Ilm Ali" in the margin, Rev: Four line legends in Thuluth calligraphy 'Shihab ud din' (1st line), 'Muhammad Sahib-e-qiran sani' (2nd line from top), 'Shahjahan Badshah Ghazi' (3rd line from top), 'zarb Akbarabad with Hijri year1042' completely visible at the bottom, (KM # 256.1), graded & slabbed by NGC as VF35, Extremely Rare.
Note: It is most likely that this coin was struck for a special ceremonial purpose in the imperial city of Akbarabad (Agra) at the time. In the year AH1042/1633 AD, one such event was the wedding of Shah Jahan's eldest son Dara Shikoh at Agra Fort (the imperial Akbarabad mint) on the 13th of February of that year. Dara Shikoh was the first son of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The calligraphy on this coin is in the Thuluth style, which dates back to the days of the Ummayad Caliphate in the 7th century and is noticeably cursive in nature. Thuluth script is characterized by one-third of each letter sloping, and it is often used in religious headings such as the headings of surahs and chapters of the Qur'an. It is believed that some of the oldest copies of the Qur'an were written in Thuluth, with inscriptions adorning the walls, niches, minarets, and domes of iconic monuments like the Taj Mahal in Agra. In the Taj Mahal, the surahs are written in the 'Thuluth' style by a Persian calligrapher, Amanat Khan, who was a resident at the court of the Mughals. Islam ascribes holiness to the Thuluth script...
There is a possibility that this coin was struck in commemoration of this event.
Note: It is most likely that this coin was struck for a special ceremonial purpose in the imperial city of Akbarabad (Agra) at the time. In the year AH1042/1633 AD, one such event was the wedding of Shah Jahan's eldest son Dara Shikoh at Agra Fort (the imperial Akbarabad mint) on the 13th of February of that year. Dara Shikoh was the first son of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The calligraphy on this coin is in the Thuluth style, which dates back to the days of the Ummayad Caliphate in the 7th century and is noticeably cursive in nature. Thuluth script is characterized by one-third of each letter sloping, and it is often used in religious headings such as the headings of surahs and chapters of the Qur'an. It is believed that some of the oldest copies of the Qur'an were written in Thuluth, with inscriptions adorning the walls, niches, minarets, and domes of iconic monuments like the Taj Mahal in Agra. In the Taj Mahal, the surahs are written in the 'Thuluth' style by a Persian calligrapher, Amanat Khan, who was a resident at the court of the Mughals. Islam ascribes holiness to the Thuluth script...
There is a possibility that this coin was struck in commemoration of this event.